Former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower has called for sporting sanctions against the regime of Robert Mugabe following the vicious beating of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Flower has been exiled from the country since 2003 when he and teammate Henry Olonga wore black armbands to protest the 'death of democracy' in Zimbabwe.

That took place during the last World Cup and Flower's demand for sanctions came on the day that Zimbabwe were playing their first match of the 2007 tournament against Ireland in Kingston, Jamaica.

News of the arrest of Tsvangirai and the injuries sustained by the head of the Movement for Democratic Change and other supporters, has not surprised Flower.

"Worse things have happened because people have been killed and tortured in Zimbabwe," Flower told the Daily Telegraph.

"But when you see how badly the leader of the official opposition has been beaten, it shows just how out of touch with the reality the government, the Zanu PF thugs, are.

"They will do anything to stay in power. Robert Mugabe has never changed since he took over in the early 1980s."

Flower, who lives in England and plays county cricket for Essex, believes that sporting sanctions rather than another on-field protest are needed to put pressure on Mugabe.

"The protest I made four years ago was a personal decision," he said.

"You can question whether it is appropriate for players to be representing their country in an international tournament at this time.

"But I can understand why they want to play international cricket and to make the best of their opportunities.

"Maybe some sort of sporting sanctions or other sanctions would be a more powerful tool in bringing pressure to bear on the government rather than expecting a team of cricketers, most of them 20 to 23 years old, to be making those sort of decisions."